Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Men with Prostate Cancer in a Rural Setting

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and predictors of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use
among rural patients with localized prostate cancer. The study also examined the participants’ disclosure of CAM use to their
physicians. Baseline and 6-month follow-up data were taken from a study examining the factors that influence treatment choice
and quality of life among men diagnosed with and being treated for localized prostate cancer residing in rural southwest Georgia
(N = 321). A total of 291 participants were interviewed at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Findings: At baseline, 26.4% reported
ever using CAM. Among them, dietary supplements were the most commonly used (75%), and 56% of patients did not disclose their
CAM use to their physicians. At 6-month follow-up, 11% of the study sample reported using CAM since starting treatment (half
of these were new users). The proportions of CAM users who reported taking dietary supplements after treatment were significantly
lower than the corresponding proportions before treatment. CAM use after treatment was more common among those who selected
surgery and watchful waiting. While 44% of the sample disclosed using CAM to their doctors before treatment, 61% after treatment
began (P = 0.05). We found that CAM use after cancer treatment in this population was markedly less common than in nationally reported
data for cancer patients. In line with national patterns, younger and more educated rural patients were significantly more
likely to have ever used CAM and to use it after treatment.